Catching a movement from across the street behind them, Vaun saw Dart waving frantically at him. He also thought he saw a blurry shape behind them but wasn’t entirely sure until Rush shimmered into focus for an instant before cloaking himself again. The elf held his long dagger in his right hand and grinned wickedly.
No danger. Vaun finally figured out Dart’s sign. Good, the guards hadn’t seen him yet. The brown-haired elf moved his hands some more, but Vaun couldn’t decipher what he tried to say. He probably communicated with Rush, hopefully telling him not to kill the soldiers. Four dead ones would attract quick attention, no matter how well they hid them.
Finally, one of the guards said something that made the others laugh, and they all turned and marched on, having convinced themselves they’d seen nothing. Vaun now fully believed what Rush said about the inherent laziness of town guardsmen. Whatever told them their city remained safe, the Swordsman didn’t dare to breathe until they were well out of earshot.
Vaun sagged against the wall, suddenly exhausted. That was close. If they’d come a moment sooner, I’d be dead now. Looking up, he saw Rush standing a dozen paces away. The blond elf shrugged and smiled, but his black eyes told Vaun he had something more to say. Dart busily gestured from across the street, however, so Rush would have to save his chastisement for later. Vaun thought the elf didn’t need to add anything, for he’d already done more than enough belittling himself and resumed his tense hurrying from shadowed spot to shadowed spot until they reached the last of the buildings leading up to the palace.
Just ahead, a good fifty paces of open square lay between them and the castle walls. The tall lampposts spaced regularly throughout the city gathered in a tight cluster in this area. Though barely half stood lit, they provided ample light for anyone to see them. Wondering how they could possibly traverse this terribly exposed square unseen, Vaun glanced at his companions.
Rush and Thorne had gathered with Drath and Dart, and the elven archer signed something to Vaun. Lifting his hands in a gesture of incomprehension, Vaun looked helplessly over at his friends across the street, reminded again of the flaw in their plan. Frustrated, Dart turned to Rush, who cocked his head attentively. The blond elf then glanced warily around before sprinting over to the Swordsman. Vaun could barely see the elf as his body shifted with his changing surroundings, and he stopped beside the youth well before Vaun thought he should have.
Rush leaned in close, and Vaun bent down so he could hear what the elf had to say. “We’re going to cross to the wall one by one.” Rush’s hot breath tickled and warmed Vaun’s cold ear at the same time. “There’s a guardhouse up close to it.” He pointed to it, and Vaun could vaguely see a darker spot of shadow against the looming bulk of the wall.
“It’s unoccupied at night, so it should hide us well. Once two of us are there, we’re going to throw a rope over the wall. We’re toward the north side of the palace, which is the least patrolled. The dungeons are near this side, too. It’ll still be difficult, so be as quiet and as quick as possible. Mahals don’t like it when you sneak into their castles.
“Thorne and I will cross first and attach the rope. Be ready. You come after Drath. Stay alert. You and Dart are to warn us of approaching guards.”
Rush turned from where he had almost left. “And by the way, you need to be more careful when doing something like this and not gawk at every building you see like a farmer who’s never been inside city walls.” Vaun frowned and started to rebut the elf, only to discover that he’d already left.
Glancing back at his companions, the youth could see the elven thief nowhere. Panicking, he looked toward the wall and saw Rush poke his blond head out from the shadow of the guardhouse and gesture to his cousin. Dart apparently made some sort of warning gesture because his cousin nodded and disappeared. Vaun couldn’t tell if he had stepped back into the darkness or had simply used his chameleon ability.
A few minutes later, Rush reemerged, and Thorne bolted from the wall. The dwarf ran surprisingly fast, his breath steaming in large puffs that trailed behind him. For a few seconds that caused the hairs on the back of Vaun’s neck to stand up and his muscles to tense, Thorne was completely exposed. Silently urging him on, Vaun sighed heavily when the dwarf reached the safety of the guardhouse.
Eyes searching the streets nervously, Vaun saw that Dart awaited his signal that all was well. He turned toward the guardhouse in time to see a rope fly over the wall. He didn’t hear the grapple catch to the top and could barely see the rope as it dangled invitingly against the wall. Other than that, no movement disturbed the night except the snow falling quietly all around.
As he raised his hand to signal, a light came on in a window across the street, spilling harsh, yellow light onto the snow two stories below. Vaun waved furiously, mistakenly signaling the path was clear. Dart nodded and touched Drath’s arm, who visibly tensed to run.
Vaun waved more frenziedly and almost shouted in fear. Drath was just leaping into motion when Dart interpreted Vaun’s gestures and grabbed the tall man’s legs. Drath clutched violently at the wall as he fell to the snow, and Vaun could hear the scraping of metal on stone as the tall man’s scabbard made contact with the wall behind him.
Vaun winced at the sound and glanced nervously at the lighted window. The shutters opened, and the Swordsman could see the outline of a figure leaning over the sill. It appeared casual, apparently unaware of the five pairs of eyes that watched intently from the shadows of neighboring houses, wishing sleep would lull it back to bed. A second shadow joined the first, and a brief, hushed conversation ensued. Only a few moments passed, but all of those watching felt the time drag by. Finally, as the shutters closed and the light went out, all five of the party members sighed heavily, discovering only then that they had all held their breath.
As the man left the window, Vaun signaled to Dart that the way was clear. Not hesitating this time, Drath leapt from the wall. Nervousness lent him energy, for Vaun barely counted past ten before he ducked behind the guardhouse and disappeared from view. He reappeared a few seconds later a few feet up the wall, pulling hard at the rope and climbing swiftly. Reaching the top, he paused only briefly to glance around, his hands working at something, and then he vanished again down the other side.
Vaun looked back toward Dart, already prepared to start running, but the elf waved him back. Vaun waited as quiet, measured footsteps, squelching harshly in the snow, came his way. Shortly, four guards left a side street a block and a half away, heading for the one directly opposite. They entered that street, not glancing to either side, and the darkness swallowed them. Vaun shook his head, thinking that Captain Stolar would never tolerate such laxity in his men. While he was glad he wasn’t caught, it made him wonder at the effectiveness of Mahalian guards. There seemed to be plenty of them; they were just horribly unobservant. A moment later, Dart signaled him to run.
Checking his surroundings one last time, the Swordsman shoved himself from the wall and sprinted. Since he stood across the street, half again as much distance lay between him and the guardhouse. He found that unfair to the point of rudeness. His footsteps sounded thunderously in his ears, and his rapid breathing was loud enough to carry all the way to Bordell. He drove his boots into the ankle-deep snow and pushed violently off the ground, urging himself to more and more speed.
The guardhouse came so slowly into focus that Vaun thought for sure he gained no ground. He had a brief, vivid image of someone seeing him and crying out, followed by the appearance of dozens of archers. He even imagined the furious itching such an occurrence would cause. He tried to push the feeling away, but it persisted until he realized it wasn’t only his imagination. That was when he ran into the guard.
Almost out of the air, the guard appeared directly in the Swordsman’s path. He must have been patrolling around the estate that stood closest to the open square, for one minute the way stood clear, and the next he’d stepped into the youth’s path. Vaun was far too close to avoid colliding
with him and only hoped his friends could silence the guard before he could raise an alarm.
Despite his proximity, Vaun still tried to dodge around the soldier. He threw himself to the side, catching a glimpse of the man’s wide eyes, and spun as he fell. He hadn’t realized he’d drawn his sword until he felt the impact of steel on the guard’s chest. The familiar rough yet pliable feel of flesh accompanied the tougher texture of clothing and something stronger that the Swordsman couldn’t identify, and Vaun knew he’d sliced deeply into the man’s ribcage. He felt one rib splinter under his blade and another be pushed to the side. Warm, sticky blood ran down the woven blade that felt like his arm, and it steamed in the cold night air.
The guard tried to draw breath for a shout, but blood filled his lungs and he only coughed weakly, already falling towards death. He stared open-mouthed at the youth lying on the ground before him, one ungloved hand clutching the sword embedded in his side.
Vaun watched in horrified fascination as the guard turned to look down at him, his Vaulka halfway through the side of the man’s chest. He felt the guard’s lung fill with blood instead of air, and almost vomited. Somehow, he held onto his dinner as strongly as he held onto his sword, and shifted aside as the man, smiling strangely, finally collapsed dead beside him. Unable to move from shock, Vaun lay until Rush picked him up and Thorne dragged the slain guard away. The Swordsman still couldn’t comprehend what had happened.
“That was amazing.” Rush stared wonderingly as he let his friend go.
Vaun said nothing and only dropped to the ground still clutching his bloody Vaulka in his fist. He could feel the blood coagulating and freezing onto the blade and knew he needed to wipe it off, but he couldn’t move. He could hear the Song fade slowly away, not remembering it even beginning, and the Rhythm pounded almost painfully in his right hand, which felt terribly cold. Glancing down, he saw that he’d taken his glove off, though exactly when he’d done so was a mystery.
Rush scanned the square and nearby buildings but saw no one. Thorne hurried up and slid beside the elf, whispering something about the disposal of the dead soldier. Rush nodded and patted him on the back, and Vaun distinctly heard the elf say, “Thank you.”
Thorne then looked Vaun over. “How in fiery blazes did you do that, Swordsman?” He grinned. “Or did I just answer my own question?”
Vaun stared up at him for a minute without answering. “I…I don’t know. I can’t remember. I remember seeing the guard, and I remember thinking I needed to make as little noise as possible. And that you guys had better silence him quick. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground holding onto my Vaulka, which was stuck in that guy’s chest. What’d you see?”
Thorne frowned, puzzled by his young companion’s apparent loss of memory. “I saw the most amazin’ thing I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Rush turned briefly from watching the street, and Vaun took his eyes off the dwarf standing over him long enough to see Dart finish covering up the bloody snow and head toward them.
Thorne visibly resisted the urge to swat the elf. Instead, he turned back to Vaun. “You were runnin’ toward us, and pretty ice-burned fast I must say, when that guard stepped out in front of you. I think he came out a side door or somethin’, ’cause I saw no one comin’ ’round the corner. Anyway, you jumped aside, and as you did you pulled your glove off, drew your sword, spun toward him, and chopped him nearly in half. It was the most incredible thing I think I’ve ever seen. You even cut through his mail. How’d you do it?” Thorne seemed genuinely interested, but Vaun didn’t know what to tell him.
“I have no idea. I just know I was only trying to get out of the way. I had no intention of killing him myself. I didn’t think I had the opportunity.” Saying this, the youth shook his head as if just realizing something and set to work cleaning his sword. He hated the slick, disgusting feel of the blood.
Thorne shook his head, saving his other questions for later. He waited until the Swordsman had tended to his precious weapon before helping him grasp the rope and haul himself up the wall.
Once at the top, Vaun saw that another rope led down the other side. He grasped it and lowered himself onto the palace grounds, still mystified, as well as a little worried, at what he’d done to that guard. It seemed like someone or something had done it for him using his body. Drath materialized suddenly beside him, and Vaun jumped, his hand going immediately to his sword hilt.
Drath smiled, unseen in the darkness, but it was evident in his tone. “Relax, brave warrior. It’s only me. What took you so long?”
Vaun refused to respond to the chiding and only said he’d answer his question later. Drath shrugged, and the youth glanced at the night-shrouded trees and shrubs of the royal gardens. Despite the darkness, he could tell these gardens, while much larger, could not compare to the beauty of King Dobry’s. Longing suddenly for the peace he’d found in that place, the Swordsman allowed Drath to pull him behind the trees as a patrol marched past.
In a couple tense moments, Vaun heard a faint scraping as one of his companions climbed the wall. Then, scorning the rope, Dart dropped lightly and soundlessly beside him. Vaun regarded the elf with wide eyes, greatly impressed. That wall is over twenty feet high! Just as that shock left him, Rush landed next to Drath.
Thorne came more sedately down the rope several minutes later, having had to wait for another patrol to pass. He dropped the last few feet and landed on a thorn bush. Drath and Rush both clamped their hands over the dwarf’s mouth, and Vaun heard muffled curses issuing from Thorne. He quieted a few seconds later, and after extricating himself from the “ice-blasted” bush they all turned toward the palace.
Rush and Dart had been able to follow Merdel into the palace earlier that day by sneaking over a portion of the wall about a hundred yards to their right. The prevalence of guards and servants had prevented them from going too far inside, but they had crept close enough to learn of the wizard’s capture. Subsequently, they knew of a possible way into the palace. However, the room they’d used earlier might now be occupied.
As Drath gathered up their ropes, Rush and Dart ran together toward a nearby balcony. When they stopped under it, Vaun saw Dart lower his head in concentration as he tried to hear inside the room above him. Vaun grimaced at the idea of having to climb again, and sighed in relief when Dart shook his head and moved on. That room was in use.
While Dart and Rush crept from under one balcony to another, the other three slid stealthily through the emperor’s gardens. Trees and large bushes provided ample hiding places from the patrols that passed by, and the deep snow masked their footsteps. Their breath steamed thickly in the cold air but dissipated quickly enough for them not to fear it would reveal their presence. The clouds began to break up, revealing a thin slice of the moon that shed scant light, aiding them more. Few night birds braved the cold to sing their songs, but those that did sang much louder, as if hoping the volume of their voices would drive some of the frigid air away.
After checking over half a dozen likely places, and nearly waking up two sleepers, the elves finally found a way into the castle. This consisted of a narrow window embedded in the wall some ten or twelve feet over their heads. Rush, who climbed up to check it, said it opened into a narrow staircase that ended in a hallway a few feet up. Vaun and Drath managed to keep their voices down while they protested the idea, but Thorne had to clench his teeth shut to keep from shouting in outrage. There was no way they could safely climb that frozen wall. But the elves insisted. Without wasting the rest of what little remained of the night searching some more, this held their only chance of entering the palace unseen. If they timed it right, they could all make it inside before a patrol passed. Resigned, the others waited while Rush climbed the wall for the second time, this time to unlock the window.
Small, elfin hands found easy purchase, and the blond elf rapidly scaled the wall, his body blending perfectly with the stone. Vaun developed a headache from looking at the e
lf’s chameleon form so much, and as he turned his head away he heard tiny scraping sounds as Rush released the catch on the window and slowly swung it open. Seconds later, the elf disappeared inside. A moment passed, making Vaun fear he’d been caught, until a rope flung itself out the window and hung a few inches above the youth’s head.
Thorne grunted something about always having to go first and stepped up to the wall, allowing Drath to boost him up so he could grasp the rope. The dwarf’s thick arms knotted, and he climbed confidently and squeezed through the narrow window and into the castle. Somehow, the dwarf had kept the hammer and other weapons he carried from scraping the wall or the window.
Drath climbed next, though as he ducked through the opening his scabbard caught on the sill with a harsh grating of metal on metal. All five of them flinched, and Dart hurriedly checked their surroundings. He didn’t detect any sounds signifying someone had heard, but the regular patrol approached rapidly. They needed to hurry.
Vaun planted one foot on the wall and lunged for the rope. Feeling the cord between his gloved palms, the Swordsman pulled himself up and managed, with Drath’s help, to creep through the window. Drath stood in the stairway, his feet planted two steps apart as he held the rope wrapped around his waist. Rush had crept down the curving stairs to check for occupants and to see where it led. Thorne had done the same in the other direction.
Vaun glanced out the side of the window as he removed his gloves and saw the shadow of the guards turning the corner. Leaning out the window to tell Dart to hurry, Vaun struck the elf’s head with his own and pain exploded down his spine. The impact of their skulls cracking together sounded unnaturally loud in his ears.
Dazed, Dart lost his grip on the rope. As he flailed for a hold, Drath released the rope to seize the back of the elf’s collar and haul him bodily through the window. The elf fell soundlessly inside and gasped, holding his head. Drath tried to grasp the rope before it fell but was too late. As he closed the window, he saw the rope had fallen in a pile behind some bushes close by, so it was unlikely the guards would see it. He watched them closely as they passed by, his face steaming up the glass, but they gave no sign they’d seen the rope and soon disappeared around the next corner.
The Bonding (The Song and the Rhythm) Page 34
